Cara's Journey
by Knightwood
Summary: After Leo's funeral, Cara fails in battle and leaves the party. Will she be able to come to terms with her feelings and return to her friends?
1. Cara's Journey

Here's another attempt at a Legend of the Seeker fic. Hope you all enjoy it.

**Rating:** T – some adult themes.

**Timeline:** Shortly after Leo's funeral.

**Legal: **I do not own the rights to Legend of the Seeker, or the associated characters, events, places etc. Disney owns the rights to the series. Anything not covered by the above rights is to be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

Cara sat alone in some woods, looking out over a gently flowing brook. It had been four days now since they had cremated Leo, but still she found her heart aching to think of him. She was a Mord Sith, trained from childhood to master pain, and was able to endure almost any pain without the slightest protest, but this was different. The pain she felt in her chest whenever she thought of the irritating, babbling and overbearingly friendly man she had begun to feel for mere days after meeting.

A chipmunk leapt out of a nearby tree as she held some nuts in her hand for it. Despite the tear rolling down her face, she found herself smiling as it started to eat from her hand. She could still recall the night he had prattled on and on about chipmunks, teasing her about her abilities as a Mord Sith by claiming she couldn't break the heart of a chipmunk and train it, proclaiming the mighty chipmunk to be the mortal enemy of the Mord Sith. The idea was so farcical, so ridiculous that she couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time she could remember laughing as anything other than a mocking gesture to a prisoner of Lord Rahl in many years. In truth, she couldn't remember a genuine laugh since before she had been taken.

Leo was the first man to make her smile. She was no stranger to men, she had trained many, possibly hundreds when she served Darken Rahl, but something about him had been totally unlike any she had experienced before. He constantly tried to befriend her and talk to her, even when she had made no effort to be anything but rude to him. He was an attractive man, that had not escaped her notice, but over time she started to notice little things about him that had made her begin to believe that it was more than a mere sexual attraction. The cheeky, boyish smile he seemed to have permanently etched into his face was infectious, forcing those around him to do likewise. His constant prattle managed to break through even Cara's barriers. Although she was able to withstand the agony of pretty much any of Lord Rahl's most creative tortures, she couldn't shut out his voice, and found herself compelled to listen.

The night they shared together had been unlike any she had ever experienced before. She could still remember the warmth of the fire as they dried themselves after the rainstorm. Looking over at him, she had felt herself overwhelmed by the feelings that had built up in her. Kissing him with a passion she had thought she would never feel, she made love to him in that cave.

The chipmunk jerked its head up, before running away as fast as its tiny legs would carry it. Cara looked around seeing Kahlan coming through the bushes. She snapped her head away, wiping her eyes quickly. She didn't want anyone to see her moments of weakness.

"Another chipmunk?" Kahlan asked her softly, smiling as she remembered overhearing their conversation. "I suppose it is one way to honour his memory."

"It was hungry." Cara replied with a shrug, looking out over the brook. Kahlan had slowly but surely started to get used to Cara being around. Despite her initial reservations about bringing her, she had trusted Richard's judgement on the matter. She knew that Kara had grown close to Leo. She had tried to convince her that her feelings for him were not a sign of weakness, or anything to be ashamed of. She had tried to get Cara to admit her feelings to Leo, but she knew that he had been killed before Cara had the chance. She had noticed since they had left him on that pyre a few days ago that Cara had been spending more and more time by herself. She could swear she saw her wiping her face with her hand when she arrived. Clearly she was still mourning Leo's passing.

"You know, tears are nothing to be ashamed of." Kahlan told her sympathetically. "We all miss Leo, but I know that what we feel can be nothing compared to your loss."

"He is dead." Cara said matter-of-factly. "There is nothing more to say on the matter."

"Cara, what you felt for him is not something to be ashamed of." Kahlan reiterated.

"We should be getting back." Cara told her. "The Seeker has many enemies in these parts."

Just then, they heard a metallic ring splitting the air, the distinctive sound of swords clashing in battle. Cara snapped to her feet, gripping an agiel in each hand, feeling the familiar pain coursing through her body as she broke into a run. Kahlan was close behind her, drawing her daggers as she did so. They both knew that the sounds of battle were coming from the camp.

They arrived to find Richard and Zedd battling a horde of banelings. Richard's left arm hung limply at his side, but even with one arm, he fought with the ferocity and strength of all the seekers that had been before him. Zedd burned as many as he could with streams of Wizard's fire.

"They came from nowhere!" Richard roared as Kahlan and Cara joined them, taking down the living corpses as they went. Cara looked at his arm, seeing a long, deep wound had opened up, dripping blood at a worrying rate. His shirt was already soaked in it. Now the four of them were reunited, the tide of the battle turned. Cara quickly dispatched the last of them, incapacitating it to allow Zedd to incinerate it, preventing it from coming back once more.

"Richard, your arm..."

"I'll be fine Kahlan." He assured her, looking into her eyes and cupping her cheek with his one good hand. "This is far from the worst injury I've suffered since I left Heartland. I'm sure Zedd will be able to..."

"This is my fault." Cara interrupted him. The others all looked at her, stunned by her statement.

"Cara, you weren't even here..."

"That is exactly my point." Cara interjected again harshly, feeling the shame of her failure. She was Mord Sith, honour bound to protect the presiding Lord Rahl. She had gone with Richard, swearing fealty to him as his bodyguard. He had been injured while she was at the riverbank, feeling sorry for herself and crying like a weakling. People died, it was that simple, and yet she had indulged in the petty weakness of mourning the man she loved. Her tears had almost cost Richard his life. "I am sworn to protect you. I should never have left you alone."

"Cara, you can't be by my side every second of the day." Richard said sympathetically. Kahlan had respected Cara's privacy enough not to explain to him what Cara did during these frequent absences, but he had already figured out that she cared deeply for Leo. He could imagine that it was hard for her to deal with his death given her upbringing. She had never lost anyone she cared about before. "This is nothing, Zedd will fix this..."

"I have failed in my duty to protect you." She replied, rolling up her bedding roll and gathering her few belongings into a canvas bag, throwing it over her shoulder.

"Cara, where are you going?" Richard asked her. She paused at the edge of the tree line.

"Cara, we all understand how you feel." Kahlan told her. "You only lost Leo a few days ago. None of us expects you to just shrug that off and get back to normal."

"I'm Mord Sith, if I can't detach myself from my emotions and serve my lord, then I am of no use to him." She stated flatly, thankful she was facing away from them as her tears began again.

"Cara, it's alright to grieve." Kahlan assured her, running over and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's only natural."

"Not for me." She replied, shrugging her hand off. "I'm leaving, and I won't be back."

"What about your vow to serve me?" Richard asked her, realising that trying to convince her to stay for emotional support was not going to work.

"I am serving you." Cara told him. "If I cannot fulfil my responsibility as your bodyguard, then the best thing I can do for you is leave."

Kahlan tried to go after her, but Zedd stopped her.

"Zedd, she shouldn't be alone at a time like this." Kahlan protested as she tried to go. "She needs us."

"It has to be her decision to return to us." Zedd assured her. "Cara is no fool. She will figure out that she needs us in time. Until then, all we can do is continue with our quest."

"How will she find us?" Kahlan asked him. Richard put his arm around her.

"Cara's resourceful. If she wants to find us, she will." He said quietly. "Now Zedd, you should probably see to this arm."

In her keep, far from prying eyes, Shota watched events unfolding in her fountain. She smiled as she saw the Mord Sith leaving the encampment.

"Just as I saw in my visions, she has left her friends." She stated with a smile. Her servant came into the room, coming quickly to her side. She handed him a letter. "Take this to the tavern in the next village. There you will find Ulric and his band of mercenaries. Give them these orders."

"I will do as you command mistress." He replied. "Mistress, forgive me, but I must ask. Why are you doing this? What business do you have with the Mord Sith?"

"I have felt the pain of her agiel." Shota informed him coldly, remembering when Cara tortured her into assisting the party in returning Zedd to them. "I have been waiting for just this kind of opportunity."

"But mistress, I thought your visions were the most important thing." He commented. "Why would you distract your attention with such a trivial matter?"

"My grander schemes are still my primary concern." She replied, looking to a heavy, iron-bound chest in the corner. "However, when the opportunity to square debts without interfering with the larger plan, why deny myself? Even I am not above such petty concerns as revenge. She will pay for daring to touch me with her accursed agiel."

It was beginning to grow late as Cara arrived in a village far from the forest where she had left her friends. She strode into the town, getting the usual reactions from the populace. Her leathers inspired fear among the citizens. Women hurried their children into their homes, closing the doors in the hopes she wasn't there for them. Men watched her, some in fear, hoping she would not harm them, others giving her slightly lustful looks. She couldn't even take her usual amusement in the fear she inspired in others as she went into the local tavern. The pain of not only losing the man she loved, but the crushing shame of her failure in her duty.

She went in, making her way to the bar. The room fell silent as she approached the barman.

"What can I do for you?" He finally managed to stammer in his terror. Cara threw a few coins onto the bar.

"I'd like a room." She told him, looking around at the premises. She saw someone sitting with a large plate of meat, and pointed to it. "What is that?"

"Wild boar." The barman rushed out, taking the coins. He was stunned to have a Mord Sith in his tavern, willing to pay. Such was their reputation, they never paid for anything. Under Lord Rahl's rule, they would simply demand whatever they required from the citizens of the midland when they were away from the keep, and expected to be given whatever they needed. No one would dare question them. This one though seemed to be willing to pay.

"Make me some." She instructed him. "I'd like a drink too."

The barman nodded, waving to his kitchen hand to begin making her meal. He poured Cara a tankard of ale, his hand shaking in fear as he poured it from the pitcher. She hadn't asked for ale, but looking at the establishment, she doubted there were any alternatives. She took the metal tankard, raising it to her lips.

"The ale here's pretty strong." She heard someone state from behind her. Cara turned around on her stool, smirking as she saw the men before her. There were about a dozen men, all armed facing her. They had a rag-tag appearance, made up of mismatched pieces of chainmail, leather armour, and the occasional armour plates, obviously scavenged from those they robbed or murdered. The man who addressed her seemed to be the leader, having the best equipment, likely as a result of having first pick of the spoils.

He was a tall man, taller than even Zedd, and heavily muscled. His armour was covered with a deep crimson surcoat, though the coat of arms had been covered with dye, likely because it wasn't his own. A long, heavy sword hung from his belt. His face was clean-shaven, surprisingly unblemished for one who obviously made a living from violence, and handsome. His hair was long, extending to his shoulders. His emerald green eyes locked with Cara's in a cold stare and his mouth slipped into an arrogant grin.

"I think I can handle it." She replied, taking a long gulp.

"We were told you'd be here." He informed her as his men moved to surround her. Cara just looked around, and snorted in disgust. "We've been paid handsomely to find you."

"Well you've found me." She replied, taking another casual drink. "So who do I have the pleasure of saying found me?"

"My name is Ulric." He informed her, drawing his sword. His men all pulled out a variety of weapons, ranging from maces and warhammers, through to a few sabres. Cara calmly finished her drink, placing the tankard on the bar before getting to her feet and pulling out her agiels.

"Keep that boar on the fire." She told the kitchen hand. "I'm just going to work up an appetite."

The first of the men rushed for her, swinging a sword which she parried easily, before ramming an agiel into his abdomen, causing him to scream in agony before collapsing. The next one was dispatched with a hard blow to the face, but the third was too quick for her, slamming a mace into her rib cage, driving the air out of her.

As the men descended on her all at once, she fought valiantly, many of them falling to the pain of her agiels, but eventually their numbers overwhelmed her. She found herself being held fast, her arms pinned in place while they hammered her mercilessly with fists and boots. She was dragged up, her weapons now on the floor out of reach, and forced to look into Ulric's face. She could taste her own blood, and could feel that her injuries, while extensive were not intended to be lethal. They had her at their mercy, if they wanted to kill her, they had the opportunity. Now though, she was beginning to get the impression that wasn't why they were hired. They forced her to her knees before their leader.

"You killed two of my men." He hissed angrily. "If I wasn't getting paid so much to catch you alive, I'd run you through myself."

"Who's paying you to commit suicide?" Cara asked him. Ulric just clenched his fist, encased in an armoured gauntlet, and drew his fist back. As it connected, with her face, the world faded to black.

Cara woke up later, presumably hours later since she could see daylight through the nearby window. She was shackled to a cold stone wall, her arms and legs held in place allowing no escape. A furnace was burning a little way from her, a few tools in it, obviously heating up. She recognised the room as a torture chamber. She had used one just like it many times. Looking down, he realised she had been stripped to her underwear. She heard the lock in the heavy oak door being triggered, before it swung open. Ulric stepped into the room, carrying an oak chest, followed by Shota.

"The mighty Shota, reduced to hiring thugs to do her dirty work." Cara quipped dismissively. Shota just snorted in response.

"Sorry about the lack of imagination, but as you know I couldn't bring you in myself." Shota responded as she moved in front of her. "My magic doesn't work on a Mord Sith, and I'm not exactly a master swordsman."

"I hope you've spent the money she paid you." Cara warned Ulric. "You can't spend it when you're dead."

"I remember you know." Shota whispered, moving closer. She looked to a table a little way off where Cara's leathers were folded neatly, her weapons belt carrying her two agiels laid on top of it. "I remember how you tortured me."

"I remember too." Cara said with a little smile. "I remember you screaming like a newborn."

Shota slapped her hard across the face, before gesturing to Ulric to open the chest.

"Ever since then, I've thought of nothing but how to exact vengeance on one who can turn my magic against me." She told her, reaching inside. She pulled out a Rada'Han. "This is the result of my latest experiments. I have magically altered the properties of this Rada'Han to quell the abilities of a Mord Sith."

She placed the collar around Cara's neck, locking it with the only key. She took a few steps back, before firing a blast of lightning at her. Cara tried, but failed to reverse the energies. She felt the Rada'Han suppressing her powers, rendering her just as vulnerable to the witch woman's power as any other person. Shota gave her a satisfied smile.

"It looks like my experiments are a success." She commented. She picked up Cara's clothing, using her leathers to carry the agiels without needing to touch them, and placed them all inside the oak chest, locking it.

"Take this into the forest and bury it." She ordered the mercenary. "Don't bother remembering where, just make sure no one finds it. Do not let anyone see you bury it."

Ulric left the room, taking the chest with him. Cara looked back to her captor.

"So this is your plan for revenge?" She asked her. "Steal my clothes? Even without my abilities, you know I'll kill you the first chance I get."

"This is only the beginning for you Cara." Shota told her, putting the key to the Rada'Han and the key to the chest into a melting spoon, before putting it into the furnace. Cara could only watch as the keys slowly started to melt. "When Ulric gets back, he's going to take you to the slave markets in the next town. With the number of people who have been wronged by the Mord Sith, I imagine the thought of having one helpless to exact vengeance on will be very desirable. I have no doubt Ulric will get a good price for you."

Shota turned and left the room, locking it behind her. Cara turned back to the furnace, and watched helplessly as the key to her Rada'Han formed into a useless pool of molten metal.


	2. Cara's Heart

Cara found herself roused from unconsciousness as the wagon rocked on the uneven dirt road. Once Ulric had come back from his errand to bury the chest, he had decided to let his men have a little fun with her before they took her from Shota's keep.

She was still in her underwear, which didn't really surprise her. She doubted they planned to sell her to anyone who would worry too much about clothing her. Every inch of her body ached, the result of a sustained, savage beating at their hands. She tried to focus her vision, not that there was much to see locked in the back of the wagon, but found it hard to do so. Her left eye was swollen almost completely shut, and had problems focusing. Her remaining good eye was also having difficulty, blurring between clarity and focus intermittently. Her head was pounding, and she felt ill, a sure sign that the hard blow to the head she had sustained had caused a concussion. Cara was well versed in the effects of injury on the human body.

As her vision cleared slightly, she could see her wrists were shackled together, and a length of chain secured them to a bracket in the side of the wagon. Her ankles were also chained together; limiting her chances of running should she somehow get free of the wagon. It was a dark wooden wagon, with only one small window on the door, which was set with heavy metal bars. Even if she wasn't chained up, she was sure that she would never muster the strength to force the door. She retreated to the corner, bringing her knees to her chest. It was cold outside, and the wagon offered little protection from the elements. She curled up as tightly as she could for warmth and thought about the reality of her situation.

She cursed Shota for her predicament. She doubted any of Ulric's men would have the mental capacity for magic, but that was little comfort for the vulnerability she felt wearing Shota's Rada'Han. It had been so long since Darken Rahl himself had bestowed upon her the ability to absorb and reverse the power of any magic directed against her. She was a strong warrior in her own right, but with her abilities, she had nothing to fear from those that hid behind magic. Now though she was as vulnerable to the impressive might of the Midland's many magic practitioners.

When Shota had told her they planned to sell her to the highest bidder, she knew that since the Mord Sith had wronged so many people there would be no shortage of people who would find the prospect of having a Mord Sith helpless to torment and punish appealing. The most obvious of course would be those who normally had most to far from the Mord Sith. She was sure many wizards would relish the opportunity to use their magic to torture a Mord Sith with no fear of reprisal. Of course wizards were far from the only ones who had reason to hate the Mord Sith. The only thing she knew was that whoever bought her, Ulric was sure to walk away a wealthy man.

She knew she had killed two of Ulric's men in the tavern, but that still meant she was heavily outnumbered, and in her current condition, she was sure she would be no match for the remaining mercenaries, even if she did somehow free herself from her bonds. Unarmed and outnumbered, she knew it would be a fruitless effort. The only comfort she had was that if she did attack them, she might force them to kill her, and then her suffering would be over. She would be returned to her beloved Leo.

"Do you really think I would want that?" A familiar, warm voice asked her. Cara looked up, her lip trembling a little and a tear running down her face as she saw Leo at the opposite side of the wagon. He gave her the boyish grin that was so infectious it always made her smile. She felt the dull ache in her head and turned her gaze from him.

"You aren't real." She muttered. "You can't be real."

"You know just once you could try a friendlier greeting." He chuckled, approaching her slowly. He pulled a blanket around her tightly, trying to warm her and keep out the worst of the elements.

"Leo, you're dead." She told him. "Your body was burned; I know this can't be real."

"It's obviously real to you." He replied, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her. Cara found herself smiling despite her captivity and her pain. A wave of warmth swept through her, lifting her spirits. It was like that night they spent together in the cave all over again. Just being with him, feeling the touch of his skin on hers made her feel stronger than she ever thought possible. He touched her face softly with his fingers, stroking the swollen cheek with his fingertips. "I can't bear to see you go through this."

"It won't be for long." Cara assured him. "One way or another, I will not belong to anyone."

"So that's your brilliant solution?" He asked her sceptically.

"What else can I do?" She asked him, hitting the Rada'Han. "Because of this, I'm easy pray for any wizard that comes along. I'm in no condition to fight my way out…"

"That doesn't sound like the Cara I know." He interrupted her. "That doesn't sound like the woman I love."

"This is insane." She muttered, wiping away a tear. "I'm obviously delirious because of the concussion. My mind is playing tricks on me."

"You can believe that if you want." He said with a shrug, before pulling in more tightly to her. "Or you can believe that I'm here to help you."

"Leo, you're dead." She reiterated sadly, looking away from him. "There's nothing you can do to help me."

"Why are you so determined to shut out anyone who wants to help you?" He asked her.

"Because I'm a Mord Sith." She answered in a weak voice tat tailed off into the cold air. "I'm not meant to feel these things, to be so weak…"

"You honestly think that what you felt for me, what you still feel for me makes you weak?" He asked her.

"Since you know everything, I'm sure you already know how I failed Richard." She replied sarcastically. "It was because I was too busy…"

"You were mourning." He interrupted her. "That's what people do when they lose someone they care about."

"My duty is to Richard…"

"But you were so sure that your tears made you weak that instead of letting your friends comfort you in your time of need, instead of letting them see you cry, you ran off to feel sorry for yourself." He reminded her. He cradled her head, pulling it onto his shoulder, letting it rest there. "It wasn't your emotions that made you weak. It was your pride."

"But…"

"Because you wouldn't let your friends see you cry, because you wouldn't let them help you, you weren't in the right mindset for your battles." He told her. "Even in the tavern, you weren't yourself. You didn't fight with the strength I remember."

"I don't have that strength anymore." She muttered under her breath. "I've lost everything."

"You haven't lost everything." He assured her.

"I'm being dragged to market in chains like an animal and there's nothing I can do about it." She reminded him. "I don't have my abilities; I don't have my agiels…"

"No, you have something much more powerful." He told her with a smile as he turned her face towards his, drawing her towards him into a long kiss. "You just have to figure out how to use it."

Cara felt the wagon come to a halt, and woke, this time finding herself on the floor and realised that she had been unconscious since she had left the Keep. There was a rough woollen blanket, the one she believed Leo had given her wrapped around her, keeping her warm. As she groaned and held her head, believing her head injury to be much worse than she had initially believed, she heard a small squeaking sound. Looking around, she found a chipmunk on the floor, sitting staring at her. She smiled as she saw this. While she had her doubts about spirits returning from the grave as anything other than banelings, she had served Darken Rahl for too long to be sceptical of the idea of omens.

The tiny creature, sitting on its hind legs its little paws raised to beg for something to eat, was not much of a sign, and may not even be a sign at all, but she took it that way. Being unable to rely on any of the things she had been trained to accept as strength as a Mord Sith, anger, hatred, contempt, perhaps this was Leo's way of telling her to find another way. Searching around the straw on the floor, she found a small, stale piece of bread that had obviously been there for some time, and gifted it to the little creature.

Just then, she heard the door unlocking. The chipmunk took its gift and sprinted into the corner, concealing itself in a small pile of hay there before the door was opened. Cara shielded her eyes from the light as it flooded in, assaulting her eyes, and doing no favours for her headache.

"So this is the mighty Mord Sith?" A man asked, stepping into view. He was a large, bloated, red-faced man, with an expensive tunic of deep green velvet embroidered with golden thread into the pattern of a twisting vine along the edges. He wore a massive gold chain around his neck, and had huge gold rings of obnoxious size on all his fingers. Just one of those rings would probably feed a whole village for a month. He cast a critical eye over Cara. "How can I be sure you aren't just trying to sell any pretty face?"

Ulric sent in two of his men, detaching her from the bracket on the wall and dragging her out of the wagon. They forced Cara to her knees before the auctioneer, forcing her to look at him defiantly. Ulric took a metal poker from a nearby blacksmith's brazier, its end glowing bright red. He pressed it into her flesh, causing it to burn with a sickening hiss, and the nauseating smell of burning human flesh. The merchant saw that despite this, Cara never flinched, and never made a single sound. He looked at her horrified by the display.

"Are you sure that thing works?" He asked, gesturing to her Rada'Han. Ulric nodded in response.

"Shota demonstrated it herself." He assured the auctioneer. "If the Witch Woman Shota is confident enough to risk her safety against a Mord Sith, you know it has to work."

"You're making a mistake." Cara said with an arrogant smirk. "When I get out of this, anyone who dared to touch me will die in ways that would make the Keeper himself quake in fear."

"She is what you say she is." The auctioneer said with an impressed look. "She will surely be the prize lot in the auction two days from now. Take her to a cell. We can expect a lot of interest in her."

In a forest, some distance away, Kahlan and Richard were sitting quietly, eating in complete silence. The forest had been kind to them, and they had plenty to eat tonight. So much so that Zedd had already had his fill and drifted off to sleep. Richard cast Kahlan a little sideways look as he chewed some roasted rabbit.

"You know I think the last time I had this level of conversation over dinner was when I was still a woodsman." He stated, breaking the silence. Kahlan looked up at him from her dish.

"I'm sorry?" She asked him. Richard just looked at her and sighed.

"You might be able to see when others are lying, but you can't lie yourself." He told her. "This is about Cara isn't it?"

"I just think we should have done more to stop her leaving." Kahlan responded as she threw the leftovers from her plate into the brush for some lucky woodland creature. She didn't have much of an appetite anyway. "You saw how upset she was. This is no time for her to go wandering off alone."

"Are you forgetting that Cara isn't exactly helpless?" He asked her in a small laugh. "I'd pity anyone that runs into her looking for trouble."

"I just can't shake this feeling that something isn't right." Kahlan reiterated, shifting closer to him. "Normally I'd have no concern for her safety but you saw what she was like the last time we saw her. She isn't thinking clearly."

"You think she's in danger?" Richard asked her. Kahlan sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know." She answered him honestly. "I'm just worried that when she's feeling like she is that she'll do something stupid."

"Even if that was the case, she's gone now." Richard told her. "If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be found."

"So what do we do?" Kahlan asked him. Richard put his arm around her, holding her closely.

"We do as Zedd said." He replied in a soft whisper. "We trust that if it's meant to happen, she'll return to us when she's ready."

Back at the auctioneer's dungeon, Cara was sitting in her cell alone when a guard came along, throwing a loaf of bread into the room and setting a metal pitcher of water near the door.

"Eat up." He instructed her. Cara came over, picking up the loaf and sat on the floor, tearing some bread off, beginning to eat as the guard left. She still couldn't see any way out of her ordeal. It appeared that the guards were loyal, at very least it seemed like they were afraid enough of the auctioneer not to be swayed by anything Cara could offer them. She couldn't force them to release her, and she couldn't exactly bargain with them. The only thing she could offer was her body, and even then there was no way she could guarantee that they would fulfil their end of the bargain once they were done.

She heard a little squeak and tuned to see a chipmunk had climbed in the window of her cell. Despite only having that one loaf, she tore a piece of bread off and offered it to the creature. As it came closer, she saw its markings in detail, and realised that it was the same chipmunk from the wagon.

"It figures that you're still showing up around me." She commented with a little smile. "You seem to hang around me a lot. You remind me a lot of someone."

She watched as the chipmunk furiously nibbled at the bread, taking a small measure of amusement and comfort from is presence. In this awful place, it was a little piece of innocence.

"I think I'm going to call you Leo." She said aloud, considering the creature. As it looked up at her, its dark eyes reflecting the light, it looked as if it was giving her the same look Leo always had. She couldn't help laughing and threw it another piece of bread.

"Alright, Leo it is then." She concluded. "Now I just need to figure out how to get out of here."

Leo sprang across the room towards the door, and between the bars, stopping on the other side and squeaked. Cara just looked at it.

"I can't exactly do that now can I?" She asked the chipmunk the rhetorical question as she went over to the door. "Do you have any more bright ideas?"

Leo dashed back into the cell, brushing against her leg as he went. As Cara was turning back, something across the hall caught her eye. She went as close to the bars as she could, straining her eyes to see. Sure enough, just as she thought, the keys were hanging on a hook on the opposite wall.

"Well that would maybe be useful if my arms were about six feet longer." She grumbled. Leo ran up to her, resting his front paws on her foot. Cara looked down at the chipmunk.

"I only have this one loaf." She told it. "I can't exactly…"

Just then, she remembered what Leo, her Leo, had said in her dream. She had something else, something more powerful than her abilities as a Mord Sith that she could use to free herself. She looked back down to the chipmunk, tearing off a little piece of bread, and holding it just out of reach. Leo sat up on his back paws, begging for it.

"I don't have my agiels." She whispered to herself. "Well Leo, it looks like we get to test a theory. Let's see whether or not a Mord Sith really can train a chipmunk."


	3. Cara's Little Helper

In her cell, Cara was finding that training Leo, the chipmunk she had named for the man she had loved so dearly was taking a lot longer, and a lot more patience than she was used to. Usually her agiel was adequate incentive to inspire loyalty in those she trained back when she worked for Darken Rahl, but in this place she had no such luxury.

Leo had just about mastered the latest trick she had taught him, running for pieces of bread she threw across the room, but not immediately eating them, and bringing them back to her for her to reward him. It was a far less efficient way of training than simply breaking him with the pain of her agiel, but she found that this training was different. As Leo came back to her with a piece of bread, she took it off him, holding it up and making him beg for it, before stroking him gently and handing it to him, indicating that it was now aright to eat it.

As she stroked the tiny creature, watching it eating, she smiled a little. She hadn't ever considered training anyone or any creature again since meeting Richard. He had no interest in using her talents to create slaves, and insisted she only use her agiels when necessary on their quest. However, seeing the way the chipmunk responded to her gentle touch, unaware of the fear she normally caused in others, it caused her to think once again of the few days she had spent with the man she had named him for.

Out with battle, Leo had been a gentle, peaceful man, preferring instead to find reasons to smile, and spread good feelings among others. He had treated her with kindness, regardless of how stand-offish she was. When he spoke with her, his voice was always low, calm and considered, like he genuinely wanted to hear everything she had to say. He constantly asked her about herself, and her past. It was a unique feeling to her that anyone wanted to be a part of her life. Just like the chipmunk that was his namesake, Leo seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact she was a Mord Sith, and wasn't afraid of her.

His touch was unlike the touch of any other man she had known. Early on, Darken Rahl would touch Cara and her sisters, purely to punish them for their failures. The men she had trained would also touch her, either to plead with her not to hurt them anymore, or, once they had been broken, out of blind devotion born of their submission. Leo though had done none of those. When he touched her, she felt warmth. A comfortable, satisfying feeling she never had before, and she now feared she never would again. Her heat raced just to see him, and now it felt cold and painful anytime she thought about how she would not see him again in this life.

Hearing the nearby door unlocking, she shooed the chipmunk into a nearby corner, concealing him beneath a blanket. As the guard arrived, he looked over to her, finding Cara sitting on the floor in the middle of the cell, a little smile crossing her lips.

"Is something wrong with your bread?" He asked her, noting she still had half the loaf left.

"It's serving its purpose." She assured him.

"There will be an inspection of the goods at the banquet tonight." He informed her. "Someone will come to collect you in a little while?"

"Will it be you?" She asked the guard. "I can't wait to show you how grateful I am for your kind treatment."

The guard just shook his head dismissively and left the corridor. Cara whistled, at which Leo came scurrying out of his hiding place in the blanket.

"It's time for the last stage of your training." She told the chipmunk, popping a piece of bread into her mouth and beginning to chew it. "Let's just hope you learn this before I run out of bread."

Up in the main fortress, Ulric was enjoying his host's hospitality, filling up on wine and food as servants prepared for the banquet where wealthy patrons from all around would come to observe the latest "goods" on offer ahead of the auction. One of his men came up to him, carrying a goblet and staggering a little as a result of his overindulgence in the auctioneer's wine.

"I overheard someone saying the auctioneer's using a journey book to send word to all points in the midlands." He informed his commander. "I overheard some of the names he mentioned."

"You know how I feel about eavesdropping." Ulric told him. "Don't do it unless you can tell me something useful."

"Everyone's coming!" He replied in a drunken slur. "Every wizard within fifty leagues will be here tonight. The Mord Sith is attracting a lot of interest."

"As well she should." Ulric replied with a self-satisfied smirk, thinking about all the wizards and lords who would all be bidding for the prisoner he had brought to them. Shota had no interest in the money, and had told Ulric he could keep whatever he earned from the sale. It had been one of the things that attracted him to the job despite the obvious dangers. "This one job is going to make me enough to retire a wealthy land owner."

"Ulric, enjoying my hospitality I see." The auctioneer greeted him. "Would you like to come into the dining hall with me? I have a number of items of business I wish to discuss."

"My master goes nowhere without an escort." Ulric's sidekick told him, his hand straying to the mace on his belt. Ulric held up a hand to stop him.

"I think we can make an exception this once." He replied. "Please, lead the way."

Later, a guard came down into the cell block to check on the prisoners. As he made his way through the corridors, satisfying himself in turn that none of the merchandise had gone missing, he came to the door leading down to the most secure wing, where Cara was being held alone. He opened the heavy oak door, and looked up, finding to his horror that the door to her cell was open. Running to the open door, he stared inside, finding her cell empty.

Cara came from her hiding place, just behind where the door had opened, and grabbed him around the neck, squeezing his throat tightly before jerking his head quickly, snapping his neck. She threw his body to the floor, searching through his possessions for anything useful. She found a key which, as she suspected, opened her manacles, freeing her. She also took his dagger and his sword. She quickly glanced at him, trying to ascertain if his clothing would fit her, giving her at least some protection from the elements as she fled the fortress. Grabbing his corpse by the ankles, she dragged him into the cell, stripping him as quickly as she could. He was wearing a rather unflattering pair of leather breeches and an off-white canvas shirt. Under the circumstances, she was grateful though, pulling on the outfit, but cursing as she found to her annoyance that his boots did not fit.

"Trust me to kill the guard with the largest feet in the Midlands." She muttered to herself. She heard another pair of guards coming and prepared to defend herself.

"Leo, come on!" She snapped, at which the chipmunk leapt onto her shoulder. As the first guard came in the door, she launched the dagger at him, scoring a direct hit to his throat. The second lunged at her, but she managed to parry the blow, before thrusting the sword into his abdomen. He slumped to the floor, at which Cara mounted him, clamping a hand firmly around his neck.

"How did you get free?" He asked in strained gasps.

"With a lot of bread and a lot of patience." She answered him. "Now, how do I get out of here?"

"There are dozens of guards at every exit." He replied. "You'll never get out."

Cara thought about what he had said for a moment, before deciding he probably had a point. She was still injured, and certainly not in any state to take on dozens of guards single-handedly, and if any of the wizards who would doubtlessly want to make a bid on her had arrived, she didn't stand a chance while wearing Shota's Rada'Han. Leo squeaked a little, distracting her from her thoughts. Looking down to the bunch of keys in her hand, she got an idea.

"I'll come back for them." She promised Leo. "Right now though, what I need is a distraction."

The guests were just beginning to arrive for the banquet as the sun started to sink again in the sky. The auctioneer was floating around, greeting guests as they arrived. As he had expected, some of the most distinguished and powerful men in many leagues had all come to attend the sale. Normally his sales were far from quiet affairs, but obviously the promise of a Mord Sith being paraded before them, helpless and in chains was too much of a draw for any of them.

They all looked around though as they heard a commotion coming from the holding area. There were a few hushed whispers as the guards started to converge on the courtyard. Before anyone knew what was happening, prisoners flooded out into the courtyard, all pushing through, attacking randomly in a desperate stampede for freedom. Fearing reprisals if any of the slaves were harmed beyond use, or worse still killed, the guards started to struggle to restrain them.

Making use of the confusion, Cara fought her way clear of the crowd, heading up the stairs to the walls of the fortress. Ulric watched her go, rushing along the walls as fast as she could go.

"She's getting away!" A wizard yelled, thrusting his hand in her direction, unleashing a powerful blast. Ulric smacked his hand aside, causing the blast to narrowly miss her. Cara leapt from the wall to the outside. Ulric remembered that there was a moat outside, and reasoned she must have used that to cushion her fall.

"You ruined…"

The wizard's protest was silenced quickly by a dagger to the heart from Ulric. He slumped lifelessly to the ground, at which Ulric simply stepped away from him. He wasn't about to let anyone, wizard or not ruin his pay day by being a little too eager with his power. He smirked as he saw the guards starting to get the slaves back under control. It wouldn't be long until they figured out Cara was gone. He knew she still had the Rada'Han around her neck, and so she was still helpless, and therefore valuable to the auctioneer. Shota had melted the only key, and he doubted she would find anyone with the power to help her that would willingly remove it in the woods. If he played his cards right, he could still get the price for her, and charge a finders fee for bringing her back.

Outside the castle, Cara pulled herself onto the bank, looking around for Leo, breathing a sigh of relief as he hopped off hr shoulder and shook his fur dry. He scampered off into the undergrowth. Looking around, realising that despite her exhaustion she was surely doomed if she stopped now, she followed him.

"You've got me this far." She whispered as she pushed her way into the brush.

Meanwhile, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd had arrived in a town, opting to take the opportunity to enjoy a warm bed for the first time in a long time. Zedd was more enthusiastic about getting a meal made for him that hadn't been prepared by Richard or Kahlan. Richard offered her the flagon of ale.

"Are you wouldn't like another?" He asked her.

"No thank you." She replied, wrinkling her nose at the slightly questionable brew. "I think one is more than enough for me."

"It has to be a hoax, surely." She heard one of the villagers behind her saying as Richard went back to his meal. "Are you seriously trying to tell me Lord Worsan is selling a Mord Sith?"

"I heard it as plain as I hear you now." He replied enthusiastically. "They say she was captured day before yesterday."

Kahlan reached across to Richard, tapping his hand, before flicking her head in their direction, indicating that this was a conversation they should hear. Richard listened in.

"How exactly could anyone hold a Mord Sith?" He asked him sceptically.

"It's true, I'm telling you!" He responded, becoming a little impatient with having his honesty called into question. "My brother's the landlord of the tavern in the next village. He saw the whole thing. Ulric and his men beat down on a Mord Sith with short hair."

"Hah! Well that proves it." The first man stated flatly. "Everyone knows the Mord Sith have those long braids!"

"Excuse me for interrupting; did you say the Mord Sith that was captured had short hair?" Kahlan asked, becoming concerned as she heard this. It had now been a couple of days since Cara had left their party. Kahlan had been having bad feelings that something terrible might have happened to her since she had left. While she was still feeling such despair over Leo's death, she wasn't in a good frame of mind to be on her own. It was hard enough for anyone to go through the ordeal of losing a loved one, but Kahlan knew that Cara had an even harder time as a result of her habit of bottling up her emotions, refusing to allow anyone to help her. The man recognised her as a confessor.

"Mother Confessor…"

"You cannot lie to me." She told him. "This is important. Is the story you told us true?"

"A Mord Sith was taken from the tavern. I do not know on whose orders." He informed her, looking into her eyes. "Then word came that she had been taken to Lord Worsan's castle."

"Who is Lord Worsan?" Richard asked them.

"He's one of the most widely known slave traders in the Midlands." Kahlan informed him. "His auctions attract people from all across the land."

"They say they have found a way to block her powers." The man added as they looked back to him. "Apparently every wizard in the land is keen to buy her."

"Having felt the sting of an agiel I can understand why." Richard remarked. "The Mord Sith are what most wizards fear more than anything. If they had an opportunity to get their hands on one that's helpless to their magic…"

"Where can we find this Lord Worsan?" Kahlan asked them, interrupting Richard. The man tried to look away, but knew he couldn't escape this situation. While he had no desire to risk incurring the wrath of Lord Worsan, he knew that if Kahlan was the Mother Confessor, he could guess that Richard was the Seeker.

Out in the forests outside the castle, Ulric's men were combing the area, looking for Cara. He had sent out a few patrols to cover more ground, but he was taking no chances himself. He had two of his men with him, keeping himself covered.

Cara watched them from a nearby tree top. As much as she hated sneaking around, she didn't have much in the way of a choice. Leo leapt off her shoulder and scampered along the branch, finding somewhere to hide.

"Some help you are." She muttered, keeping her eyes on the three men below her. He adjusted her position to prepare for her attack, waiting until they were in position. As soon as Ulric was directly beneath her, she made her move, leaping from the tree, slamming into all three men and driving them from their horses. Recovering as quickly as she could, she slaughtered the first before he could regain his feet, running him through with the sword she had stolen.

The second guard managed to get in a punch to her blind side, staggering her, before drawing his own sword. Cara managed to recover much faster than he anticipated, slashing his throat, killing him before he hit the ground.

Ulric levelled a crossbow at her, preparing to fire the bolt, but he was interrupted as Leo leapt out of the tree, into his face. Cara kicked the crossbow from his hands, before inflicting a painful, though non-lethal stab wound to his stomach. As he fell to his knees, she placed the tip of the sword to his throat.

"You took something that belongs to me." She reminded him, referring to her agiels. "I want them back."

"I don't know where I buried them." He told her. "I forgot…"

"A loathsome maggot like you would never have forgotten where you buried something as valuable as working agiels." She interrupted him bitterly. "I have no doubt you were probably waiting until you sold me and then you would have taken them to sell too."

She stabbed him again, this time twisting the blade to inflict the maximum amount of pain. Ulric screamed loudly as she did this.

"I know the human body intimately. I know these wounds are not fatal, but they are incredibly painful." She told him, bringing her face close to his. "I don't need my agiels to make you suffer. Now, tell me what I want to know."


	4. Cara's Mercy

Richard, Kahlan and Zedd were making their way along the road towards Lord Worsan's fortress, following the directions given to them by the gossip mongers in the tavern they had left behind. They knew that without horses, they wouldn't reach there before daybreak. It wasn't likely that they'd find her before then anyway. Richard crouched down, checking the road for tracks.

"A wagon came this way." He told them. "It wasn't heavily laden."

"Well according to the villagers they only took Cara." Kahlan stated.

"Then at least we know we're heading in the right direction." Zedd remarked, looking around the undergrowth. "The light is fading, and we aren't going to make any more progress tonight. Perhaps now would be a good time to make camp for the night."

"No doubt you're hungry again." Richard replied with a little smile. "Don't worry Zedd, if Cara is in the keep, we won't get in until morning anyway. You and Kahlan find somewhere to set up camp for the night. I'll see about dinner."

Meanwhile, a lot closer than they would have thought, Cara shoved Ulric roughly through the brush. She had lashed his hands behind his back with his belt, and had hastily gagged him to prevent him alerting his comrades to his plight. Painfully aware of the fact she was still carrying a sword, he hurried through the undergrowth, stopping by the edge of a lake. Cara looked around as she got to the edge of the tree line. Once she was out of the woods, she would be much too exposed for comfort. She had to be sure he wasn't trying to lead her into a trap.

"Where?" She asked him. Ulric turned and nodded in the direction of a small, sickly looking shrub a little way from the water's edge. Cara prodded him in the back with the point of the sword, ushering him forward as she had a look. She could see a small patch of ground that looked like it had been recently disturbed. Shoving Ulric back against a tree, she pulled out a dagger and rammed it through his shoulder, pinning him in place. Ulric gave out a muffled scream of pain as the blade penetrated, his eyes showing the extent of his agony.

"Don't go anywhere." She ordered him as she turned towards the shrub and started to dig frantically with her hands. Finally finding the chest, she pried it free, tossing it on the ground near her as she mopped her brow of sweat. She pulled a stolen dagger from her belt, and reached for a nearby rock, beginning to work the lock aggressively. Hammering into it with all her strength, she finally managed to force the lock, breaking it open. She pulled out her agiel, the very one that had been used to break her all those years ago, the one she had been given upon the completion of her training. Despite the injuries of her ordeal, the stinging pain coursing through her as she gripped it invigorated her. It was like getting a piece of herself back. She was almost whole again.

Ulric squirmed a little, trying to free himself in a futile gesture. She turned back to Ulric, pulling the sword out of the tree and allowing him to collapse to the ground. He looked up at her as she wielded the sword and one of her agiels, standing over him menacingly.

"Not long ago, I would have ensured you a slow and painful death, but that is not who I want to be anymore." She told him as Leo climbed onto her shoulders. She untied his hands and laid the sword before him. He was already wounded, and these forests could be dangerous, especially at night. Leaving him unarmed would be tantamount to leaving him to certain death. "Go with your worthless life. Find new work, this business can be dangerous."

Ulric pulled off his gag, watching as Cara turned her back to gather her belongings. The anger at his humiliation started to build in him as he took the sword in his one good hand, before getting to his feet, bringing the down in a massive overhead arc. Leo had been watching though, and let out a terrified squeal.

Kahlan, Richard and Zedd were all ripped from their sleep by a blood-curdling scream. Sound travelled far during the night, but from the volume of the scream, it sounded like it hadn't come from far away. Richard snatched up the Sword of Truth, scanning the forest for the source of the commotion.

"Do you think that came from the castle?" Kahlan asked him. Richard shook his head gently.

"I don't know." He replied. "Wherever it came from, it sounds like someone is in a lot of trouble."

"It came from this direction." Kahlan told him. Zedd stayed behind to secure the camp as Richard and Kahlan ran to investigate. Arriving by the banks of the lake, they found Cara standing defiantly, an agiel in her hand, staring at the fallen body of her tormentor. His face was frozen in a mask of agony.

Kahlan could see that Cara could barely stand up straight and rushed over to her, grabbing her and helping her back to the camp. Unusually though, Cara allowed her to.

Ordinarily, she would probably have thrown her arms off and made her way to a seat by herself as a matter of pride. Having mastered pain, she would have seen it as weakness to allow someone to help her when she was still able to carry on by herself, but the one thing she had learned across the time she had been separated from her friends was the destructive nature of pride. It was her pride in refusing to allow the others to see her grieving for Leo that had led to her feelings getting the better of her. It was her pride in refusing to let the others see her as vulnerable that had led to her leaving the group in the first place.

"Who was he?" Richard asked her.

"He was the man who captured me." She told them. "When I got loose, I gave him the choice of leaving with his life. He chose badly."

"What happened to you?" Zedd asked her, noting her injuries. He inspected the Rada'Han around her neck. "Who did this?"

"This is a little present from Shota." Cara told them. "It prevents me from redirecting the magic of others. This is her payback for torturing her."

"It seems Shota has been performing her experiments again." Zedd commented. Cara pulled off her shirt, allowing Kahlan to begin inspecting her wounds. While pain and discomfort were never an issue for her, she was more than aware of the effects of infection.

"She paid some mercenaries to bring me to her. She locked me into this and then melted the key." Cara explained. Kahlan and Zedd both understood the significance of this. When a Rada'Han was forged, the only key was forged at the same time. Shota had melted the key, obviously intending that Cara never be capable of releasing herself from it. "She also had my belongings buried somewhere she believed I would never find them. After that, they took me to a castle where I was to be sold at the slave auctions. I escaped from there."

"How did you escape?" Richard asked her.

"Leo helped me." She told them. The others all looked a little worried to hear her say this. She hadn't been in captivity long, only just short of two days, but they could see that she had been treated with cruelty and brutality. As Kahlan inspected her wounds, it became clear exactly how brutally she had been treated. No one else would have been still standing, much less able to fight their way out of a fortress. "I will take you to the castle at first light."

"Cara…"

"I used the other prisoners as a distraction. They will have been punished for their insurrection." She told them. "It is only fair that I repay my debt to them."

"We'll help you." Richard assured him. "Just…let Zedd heal your wounds and try to remove the Rada'Han."

Cara just sat perfectly still, allowing Zedd to work, all the time thinking about all those who had wronged the prisoners of the keep. There were several wizards attending the auctions, and Lord Worsan had an army at his disposal, but Cara knew she couldn't just leave the slaves in the keep to their fate. She had been stripped of everything she believed made her strong in that place, left feeling completely helpless and alone, and yet something had driven her on to escape. It was more than simply a will to survive. Her head had told her that the odds were impossible so many times. Something about what she had seen and heard had driven her on to survive. Not because it mattered to her, but because Leo wanted her to. Se had found strength far beyond what she thought was possible within her knowing only that one thing. Leo wanted her to live on, not give up and join him in the underworld.

"As Zedd started to chant, causing her muscles to stop aching, cuts to seal and bruises to simply vanish, Cara held up a hand.

"Can you make me look like I did before?" She asked him. Zedd looked at her and smiled.

"I wouldn't have thought subterfuge was your way." He remarked as the penny dropped what she was about to suggest. "I would have thought you'd favour the direct approach."

"We don't want the slaves to get hurt." Cara told him. "The best way to accomplish that is to let Worsan think he's getting what he wants."

"Are you sure about this?" Richard asked her. Cara just smiled at him and put her wrists together in front of her, ready to be bound.

"He wanted to sell a Mord Sith." She reminded him. "Let's give him one to sell."

By day break, the castle was on high alert. Ulric's men had already found his body, and so it was known that Cara had managed to kill him. The guards were naturally jumpy, as were all of Lord Worsan's guests, wary in case the deadly Mord Sith came back to exact vengeance on them for her humiliation.

The guards at the Eastern gate were suddenly brought to attention as three strangers approached them. One was a stunningly beautiful woman with flowing, wavy black hair, dressed in an elegant silk dress. On her arm was an elderly man, dressed in brightly coloured, ornately patterned robes, tied at the waist with a dark leather belt from which a bulging purse hung. The third man was the one they were interested in. He was a powerfully built man, wearing dark leather armour, bearing a coat of arms, presumably that of his lord. He was holding a rope in one hand, which he was using to drag Cara along the road. The guards recognised her from the escape instantly. They could see that she was still wearing the Rada'Han, and so they knew the wizards they had attracted to the auction had noting to fear from her.

"I heard you lost this." Zedd told the guard, gesturing to Richard to present Cara to them. He pulled on the rope lashed around her wrists, dragging her forward. A swift kick to the back of her knee brought her to her knees. "That was a little careless now wasn't it?"

"Lord Worsan will thank you kindly for her safe return." The guard told him, beginning to approach them, his halberd in hand. Richard pulled out his sword, causing him to stop.

"I was thinking that I should benefit from this with something a little more valuable than mere…thanks." Zedd continued. The guard looked a little flustered by his apparent lack of respect for his lord.

"I'm sure a finder's fee will be in order." The guard told him. "If we can just take the girl…"

Richard grabbed her by the hair, positioning the blade of his sword across her throat, the keen edge directly against her skin.

"You have already lost her once; I wish to protect my investment myself." Zedd stated regally. "Tell Lord Worsan that Baron Rubin Rybnik will deal only with him in person."

The guard dispatched a messenger to carry this message to his lord. He smiled at Zedd.

"You are taking a huge risk Baron." He commented. "My lord does not take kindly to threats."

"Don't think of it as a threat, think of it as hard bargaining." Zedd told him. "I do not wish to risk taking her to another market to sell myself, so I just want to bargain for the best finder's fee I can get. After all, the girl is no use to any of us if she's dead."

The messenger came back to the guard, whispering to him. The guard looked back to the party.

"My lord will see you now." He told them. "Bring the slave for inspection. He wants to see what you expect him to pay for."

Richard grabbed Cara, pulling her roughly back to her feet and shoved her forward forcefully. Cara could see all the stares she got from the men watching her.

"You're enjoying this far too much." She whispered to Richard as he shoved her again.

"It was your idea, remember?" He stated as they were led into he inner sanctum.

Kahlan and Zedd made their way into the main throne room, finding Lord Worsan sitting on a large, golden throne at the end of the long, narrow room. Looking up, there were balconies running the entire length of both walls, where guards armed with crossbows were waiting, obviously a precaution in case of a double-cross. Richard grabbed Cara, bringing her to a halt.

"I understand you brought back some of my property." He said in a casual drawl.

"My understanding was that someone else brought her to sell her." Zedd responded.

"Unfortunately he was killed in her escape." Worsan replied flippantly. "My contract died with him. Bring her closer so I can get a better look at her."

Richard dragged her to the foot of Worsan's throne, before forcing her to her knees before him. He pulled her hair, forcing her to look up at the slave trader, giving him a chilling glare. Worsan got up from his throne, making his way towards them, his crossbowmen taking aim at Zedd and Kahlan as he did so. Richard brought his sword in front of her, placing the tip on the floor, the blade resting near her chest.

"So you came back to me after all." He mocked her. "So much for the mighty Mord Si…"

Without warning, Cara ran the rope binding her wrists along the blade of Richard's sword, cutting herself free and reached inside her shirt, pulling out an agiel. Lord Worsan screamed in pain as she rammed it into his stomach, sending waves of agony through him.

The crossbowmen prepared to fire, but Zedd, anticipating the move cast bolts of Wizard's Fire, destroying the balconies and sending them falling to the stone floor. Richard, Kahlan and Zedd kept the few who were still moving covered as Cara grabbed Lord Worsan, turning him to face them and held her agiel over his heart.

"Drop your weapons or he dies in agony you will never be able to imagine in your worst nightmares!" She said coldly. She leaned in, whispering in his ear. "I may wear the Rada'Han, but you already know that won't stop me from using this." Lord Worsan gestured to his men to do as she said.

"What do you want?" He asked her. "I'll give you anything!"

"You have nothing that I want." She told him, bringing the agiel closer, causing him to writhe in terror. "Release the prisoners. Give them enough from your treasury to leave this place, and I'll let you keep your pitiful life."


	5. Cara's Pain

Cara was sitting on a set of stone steps, gently stroking the chipmunk Leo as she watched Lord Worsan setting free the last of his slaves. Kahlan came over to her, smiling as she saw the unusually gentle moment from the Mord Sith.

"Who's your friend?" Kahlan asked her. Cara just smiled.

"Leo." She replied. "I'd never have escaped if it wasn't for him."

"So that's what you meant when you said Leo helped you." Kahlan stated with a small sigh. "I was beginning to worry about you."

"He hung around even when I did nothing to encourage him." Cara explained. "The name seemed to fit."

"Cara, it's alright to grieve." Kahlan told her. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Richard."

"It just...it's not fair." Cara commented as Leo hopped onto her hand. "I never got a chance to tell him what he meant to me. I was so concerned about making myself vulnerable..."

"We all worry about that." Kahlan assured her. "It's also natural to want to keep a little piece of him around."

"I don't understand." Cara replied.

"You named him Leo." Kahlan commented, gesturing to the chipmunk. "You've been feeding chipmunks every night since he died."

"It feels good." Cara told her. "It feels right."

"I can understand why you want to keep this part of him alive, but there's only one problem. Leo's dead." Kahlan reminded her. "Sooner or later you'll have to let him go."

Cara nodded in understanding, putting Leo down on the ground and nudging him gently with her fingers, encouraging him to run off into the undergrowth. Zedd came over, taking a seat by Cara.

"Lord Worsan has learned a valuable lesson in the immorality of slavery." Zedd remarked as he looked at Cara. He gestured to the Rada'Han around her neck. "Now, how about I try to take this off?"

"I would like that very much." Cara told him. Zedd grabbed the Rada'Han, at which his hands started to glow. Cara felt the collar heating up, but didn't even flinch as the power built up, until eventually the Rada'Han opened up. Zedd removed it, freeing Cara from the accursed thing. "Thank you."

She took the Rada'Han, and got up, starting to walk away, at which Kahlan stopped her.

"Where are you going?" Kahlan asked her.

"I was planning on returning this to its rightful owner." She told Kahlan. She realised that she meant she was going to Shota's keep. She could understand why Cara would want to seek revenge. Now that she had her abilities back, she knew that Cara would have nothing to fear from the Witch Woman.

"Cara, why...?"

"I'll meet up with you all at the next village." She told her. "Don't worry about me."

"Cara, all this happened because you went off on your own." Kahlan reminded her. "You don't need to be on your own right now."

"This isn't about grief." She stated. "I have to do this."

With that, Cara left the castle, leaving her friends behind. Richard came over, a curious look on his face.

"Where's Cara going?" He asked.

"She's going to Shota's keep." Kahlan informed him.

"I'd hate to be in Shota's shoes." He responded with a shrug. "She'll be fine Kahlan."

Shota was deep within her keep, peering deeply into the fountain, observing visions. She heard footsteps behind her. Her eyes shot open wide as the Rada'Han landed on the stone floor by her feet. She turned around finding Cara standing before her.

"I just wanted to return this." She announced. Shota held up a hand defensively as Cara advanced on her, drawing an agiel.

"Please, have mercy!" Shota screamed, realising the position she was in. Cara was free of the Rada'Han, and so her magic would not protect her. Cara approached her, forcing Shota to retreat, backing up into the fountain. Cara brought her agiel close to her, causing Shota to lean right back over the fountain, terrified of its sting. She could remember the agony it caused from the last time Cara had tortured her with it. She drew in closely, the agiel hovering mere inches from her flesh.

"I wanted to thank you." Cara told her. "This has taught me a lot about myself."

With that, she leaned in, kissing Shota gently, before parting from her, smiling.

"Because I'm grateful for your help in coming to terms with Leo's death, I'll grant you a pass this once." She told her. "However, if you ever try anything like that again, I will grant you the most agonising death you could ever possibly imagine."

With that, she turned and left the room, allowing Shota to breathe a sigh of relief. Her plan for vengeance had failed, but she didn't care. She was just grateful that Cara had granted her mercy. It was a rare thing for a Mord Sith to give a pass to someone who had wronged them. She was more than aware how fortunate she was that Cara had decided to end their feud without bloodshed.

Meanwhile, outside, Cara was making her way along the road to the next village where she had agreed to meet her friends. She bent down, picking a red flower and smiled as she remembered Leo offering her the same kind of flower, simply because he said it went with her leathers. She felt a warm feeling coursing through her, and looked to her shoulder, finding a hand there. Her gaze followed the arm, finding Leo standing there.

"I would have understood if you did exact vengeance." He told her. "I'm proud of you."

"I'm trying to be a better person." She told him. "I want to be more like the kind of person you'd want me to be."

"Well you definitely seem happier now." He commented.

"Will you be waiting for me?" Cara asked him. "In the underworld I mean. Will you be waiting for me?"

"No." He told her with a smile. Cara looked more than a little confused.

"Why not?" She asked him. "I love you."

"I know you do, but you have your own life to live." He reminded her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You have to have a life beyond me."

"I don't want anyone else." She sniffed, wiping away a tear with her wrist. "You're the only man I've ever loved."

"I'm honoured to hear you say that." He assured her. "But in time that will change. Eventually the pain won't seem so unbearable. You'll start to allow other people into your life. Perhaps you'll even find love with someone else."

"I'll never forget you." She told him. Leo just shook his head.

"I never said you would." He explained. "Just because you love me doesn't mean to say that one day you won't find someone else you love differently, though just as much. It's possible you may even marry and have a family."

"A family?" She asked him, getting a little grin as she thought about this. "I don't think a Mord Sith is exactly the ideal parent."

"It's just as well you're a lot more than just that then." He told her. Cara wept a little more forcefully. "What's the problem now?"

"When you leave…you aren't coming back are you?" She asked him. "This is the last time I'll see you isn't it?"

"I came because you needed me." He told her. "But yes, once I go this time, I won't be back."

"Please, stay just a little longer." She begged him. "I don't think I could bear to lose you right now."

"The others will help you with that." He assured her. "You'll be fine Cara. The woman I fell in love with is one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"I don't feel very strong right now." She admitted. "Can you just stay with me tonight? Please?"

"Do you really think that would help you?" He asked her, turning to face her. "You need to move on, and you can't until I leave."

Cara nodded in understanding, before leaning in, pressing her lips to his. She felt energy coursing through her as he faded away, leaving her for the last time. With that, she turned back to the road, heading off in pursuit of her friends, her heart aching for the man she loved.

Fin.


End file.
